good morning, america. breaking news. >> downtown l.a. on fire. >> a massive fire raging this morning in los angeles. an entire apartment building up in flames. the blaze seen for miles. shutting down two major freeways. developing now, twin storms targeting both coasts. a nor'easter brewing. and in the west, another major storm. fears of heavy rain, flash flooding, and mudslides. the big special leaving some viewers with a bad taste in their mouth. the scientist supposed to be eaten alive by a giant anaconda. was this tv's biggest letdown ever? welcome to new york. the royals land in the big apple. with a bump. drawing crowds, cheers.

the empire state building lit up overnight in their honor. what she wore. where they're heading this morning. we're taking you inside the royal road trip. ♪ they never blind me ♪ welcome to new york and good morning, america. hope you all had a great weekend. a little taylor swift right there for will and kate. there you see them. arriving at the carlyle hotel here in new york last night. >> people so excited to have them here. their first trip to the big apple together. amy, you have been all over it. >> yes, we were there last night in the bitter cold. and william didn't have a coat, by the way. which i noticed. i guess you can do that when you're a prince. look at his mother there, princess diana walking out of those very same doors of the carlyle hotel.

it was one of her favorite hide-aways. they have a very busy 72 hours. we'll tell you about that coming up. first, we want to begin with the massive fire burning in los angeles right now. an entire apartment building has been destroyed by it. highways shut down. brandi hitt is in l.a. with the latest. good morning, brandi. >> reporter: good morning, lara. a building under construction crippled parts of downtown los angeles this morning. take a look at this inferno. it's not known how this seven-story apartment building under construction caught fire, but it erupted very quickly. you can see the flames for miles away. and entire freeway shut down for hours. the intense heat burning paint off signs. the crews said when they opened their doors the films were already burning. two other buildings damaged. a dangerous scene for the 250 firefighters here but the good

news is no injuries are reported. this building continues to smolder this morning but right now fire crews say they have a handle on it. george? now to the twin storms. a huge nor'easter brewing right now. and major storm targeting the west coast threatens floods and mudslides. ginger tracking it all. >> those would be fraternal storms. very different how they affect the coast. let's start with the east. a winter storm watch all in blue. all of new england. that's where snow will fall, inland. coastal, a flood watch. we have heavy rain, big-time wind coming in. a small winter storm warning. let's talk timing. overnight into early tomorrow. tuesday, all rain, d.c., philadelphia, baltimore. new york city. boston, rain, too. coastal wind and waves. on the backside, the cold air comes in and all the snow falls. should stay relatively dry, but windy and cold through the midweek. that was thursday at 3:00 a.m. snow accumulations in some higher elevations are going to

be quite heavy. again, that's far west of i-95. and quickly, it's that river of atmospheric rain headed straight for the west coast. the northwest early in the week. southwest, if you thought last week was bad, the mudslides, the terrible stuff, along with the much-needed rain, it is going to keep happening. wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour along the west. >> a lot to talk about. thank you so much, ginger. now we want to turn to the buzz in the big apple. royal visit. prince william and kate, the duchess of cambridge, are checked into the stylish carlyle hotel. for their first ever trip to new york. they are not wasting a minute of this trip. this morning, the prince will fly to the white house where he'll meet with president obama. amy has more on all of their plans. what's up? >> it's an action-packed 72 hours with no downtime for the royal couple. a fitting schedule for their very first trip to the city that never sleeps. new yorkers rolling out the red carpet for prince william and a

5-month pregnant glowing kate. adriving at the new york palace, the carlisyle hotel to throngs screaming fans. the couple flying first class on a british airways flight and then, it was off to an intimate dinner with wealthy donors of their royal foundation. the cambridges have a packed itinerary. william heading to d.c. for a call on president obama just hours from now and a conference on preventing poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. >> i think it will be a very big thrill to go to the white house. >> reporter: the duke meeting up with chelsea and hillary clinton for a conservation reception here in new york, co-hosted bite clinton foundation. meantime, kate will stay put in new york, heading to a harlem youth center, finally on the mend from her extreme morning sickness. an ambulance travels with the couple at all times due to kate's medical difficulties early in her pregnancy. and the security is tight. the nypd declining to discuss cost or details. >> the planning is complicated.

demanding. and the balance you have to try to strike is providing the security you need without inconveniencing people more than you have to and ensuring they, themselves, can have something resembling a normal visit. >> reporter: game on. will and kate head to brooklyn for hoops and taste of american royalty, king james, perhaps a visit from jay-z and queen b. and, who knows, a repeat of that royal kiss. the kiss cam could find them, though. >> it could. >> reporter: that would be a treat. and at practice yesterday, lebron james told reporters it's a huge honor to play in front of the royal couple, and he hopes to meet them after the game tonight. and yes, we will all be watching that kiss cam. >> something tells me we won't see a kiss. we'll move on to the top-secret report on torture about to be made public. the most extensive accounting of the cia tactics after the 9/11

attacks. americans around the world on high alert, afraid these details will spark a backlash. chief global affairs anchor martha raddatz has the latest. >> reporter: there is great concern this morning about potential for violence in reaction to this shocking report. cables sent to all diplomatic and military facilities urging them to review all security procedures. the cia and the bush administration have already faced extensive investigation and criticism for interrogation techniques that included waterboarding that was stopped years ago. but this report coming out of the senate intelligence committee provides far more detail, never heard before, which is described to abc news as very graphic, george, and very disturbing. >> which is why there could be such a backlash. on the failed rescue attempt over the weekend, we're learning

more details, some tragic details. the south african prisoner may have been on the verge of release. >> so sad. a south african humanitarian group was just hours away from pierre korkie's release. having negotiated for months. of course he, like american luke somers, was executed in this raid by the al qaeda terrorists. this morning, the u.s. ambassador to south africa told the associated press that american officials were not informed of those negotiations when s.e.a.l. team 6 went in to try to rescue the men. ambassador saying this morning, of those developments and had to act hastily. al qaeda had released a tape saying somers would be executed within 72 hours. so, the u.s. clearly knew the threat was imminent, george. >> just heartbreaking. okay, martha, thanks very much. let's go to amy with the other top stories. a break for commuters at the gas pump. gas prices have dropped another 12 cents in the last two weeks alone.

those lower prices are producing gains across the economy. we'll see the fastest growth next year. attorney general eric holder is announcing new limits on profiling. by federal law enforcement agencies. agents will be barred from considering not only potential suspect's race or ethnicity, but also his religion, national origin, and sexual orientation. however, profiling by the tsa at airports and borders is still okay. president obama is weighing in on race, justice and recent wave of poe tests. he told b.e.t. that racism is deeply rooted in america. and overcoming bias requires time and steadiness. breaking overnight. at least 21 deaths are confirmed after the massive storm that slammed the philippines. the storm now weakening but

forced more than a million people to evacuate. many returned to find their homes badly damaged or destroyed. new details about the massive cyberattack against sony pictures. bloomberg reporting the hack is traced to a five-star hotel in bangkok, thailand. overnight, sony playstation users could not access their systems. sony say the problem is fixed and no personal data was taken. police in florida say a black bear caused a chain reaction highway crash in the everglades that killed three people. the initial car hit the bear. a second car stopped to help. a third car struck them both. eight other people were injured. and police near chicago say a major chemical scare at hotel was deliberate. thousands of people in animal costumes attending a so-called "furries" convention were evacuated. 19 had to be sent to the hospital after someone left chlorine powder in a stairwell. police are calling it a criminal investigation.

and finally, it's the newest scandal in the tabloids. take a look at the picture. that's a government employee, a lawmaker, playing candy crush on his taxpayer-funded ipad. the image going viral. it was a marathon session, nigel mills, a member of parliament reportedly played for 2 1/2 hours straight. they're not really sure -- i mean, i think he had a good reason. it probably wasn't that compelling of a committee. i'm on level 40, how about you guys? this is my newest addiction. my daughters got me into it. and i will admit, i've been busted in kind of an embarrassing moment playing candy crush. >> i'm glad you admitted that. >> the first step. >> we're moving on to another night of angry protests from coast to coast, turning violent in california over the grand jury decisions in new york and ferguson. over the weekend, die-ins like this one after the eagles game in philadelphia. athletes wearing shirts saying i can't breathe. and anger over the young boy

killed in cleveland after playing with a toy gun. his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit. we'll speak to his mother in a moment. >> reporter: the wrongful death suit charges the police officers on the scene for acting recklessly when they shot and killed tamir rice when he was shot after holding a pellet gun. the moment captured on this surveillance video. rice walking along a sidewalk outside a rec center when a cop car pulls up. a few seconds later, he falls. the police claim rice's gun appeared to be real. the suit also alleged that the cop left rice on the ground bleeding without medical attention for four minutes. he died the following day. the city of cleveland named in the suit also. as new information comes to light about one of the officers. timothy loehmann resigned from a nearby police department after questions about his emotional stability led him to be declared unfit for duty in 2012.

reena ninan, abc news, new york? >> we're joined by tamir's mother, samaria rice, and her attorney, benjamin crump. thank you both for joining us this morning. we want you to know how sorry we are for your loss. what would you like to see happen right now? >> that the police be accountable for what they did to my son. >> and what does that mean? >> i'm looking for a conviction. for both of the officers. >> mm-hmm. >> what do you know about what happened that day? what tamir was doing? what happened on the scene? >> two little boys came and knocked on my door, it had to be about 3:30. they came and knocked on my door and told me the police just shot your son twice in the stomach. so, they're telling me to be quiet and calm down before they but me in the back of the police

car. i calmed down. as i looked over at the police car that's on the grass, my daughter is in the car. and i'm asking them to let her out. she's only 14 years old. and then, when my -- when they finally let my daughter and my son go, my daughter told me that the police had tackled her and put her in handcuffs and put her in the back of the car. >> tackled her, put her in handcuffs? >> that's exactly what she told me. she said they tackled me, mommy, and put me in the back of the car. i couldn't believe they tackled her and put her in handcuffs and put her in the back of the police car. in the same police car that was on the grass that the officer got out of and shot her brother. so my daughter is sitting there looking at her brother on the ground. >> and mr. crump, we know this comes against the backdrop of this consent decree calling for major reforms in the cleveland

police department you have also filed a wrongful death lawsuit. >> right now the family is focused on getting justice for tamir. they're very concerned because they look at what happened in the garner case where there was no indictment. where a man was choked on video and the local officials did not indict him. they're very concerned about the local prosecution. >> and finally, what would you like the world to know about tamir? >> tamir was a bright child. he had a promise in the future. he was very talented in all sports. i mean, he was just a wonderful kid. everybody loved him. he was very helpful. very caring. very kind. and he was my baby. he's the youngest out of four. and he was my baby. >> and we're sorry for your loss. thank you for joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> boy, this one is so hard to understand.

we're going to switch gears now. yes, indeed, we are. the first ever college football playoffs. the debate is still raging across the country this morning about the final four teams left to play. angry fans left on the sidelines, venting online throughout the night and abc's paula faris has the story. >> reporter: if college football gurus thought their new playoff system would not be controversial -- >> number one, alabama holds its spot. >> reporter: -- they missed the goal line. this weekend, a selection committee, including former secretary of state condoleezza rice, selecting four teams to compete for the national championship in the first ever college football playoff. alabama, oregon, florida state, and ohio state. the buckeyes considered by some to be a questionable choice nudging out baylor and texas christian university. teams with similar records. critics swiftly challenging the decision. fans angry their teams were left out and committee members admitting subjectivity played a

part. >> i think they've taken a severe credibility hit today. >> reporter: kd cannon tweeting we're a pissed off football team. >> you're passionate the selection committee got this wrong? >> i think they got it wrong. the best four teams in the country are not playing in the semifinals. i think baylor should be in. i think baylor got a raw deal. >> reporter: fans at tcu stunned. >> it wouldn't be appropriate to say the exact word on television. just pretty upset. >> i just don't understand that. >> reporter: but despite many feeling the committee's decision was out-of-bounds, the games will go on. >> it will come closer to bringing us a defined national champion year in and year out. at the end of the day, we have two phenomenal semifinal games. >> reporter: for "good morning america," paula faris, abc news, new york. >> a lot of people talking about this. you can see the college football playoffs semifinals on new year's day starting at 5:00 p.m. eastern on our sister network, espn. >> nobody's going to be happy, ever. if you have an eight-team

playoff, team nine and ten will be upset. >> yes. >> they got this as close to right as they could get. >> affirmation from t.j. >> there it is. this is strahan's seat. so i feel like -- i'm channeling my inner strahan. i'll get bigger here shortly, okay. >> all right. i want to weigh in with ginger on the weather. such a difficult mix. you've been busy all night long. i've seen you not leave your station. >> coast to coast and in the middle, too. this morning, chicago dealing with quite a bit. let's get straight to the camera. the traffic is not going to be good with a little rain and a mix into wisconsin. snow farther north. it is a slick morning no matter where you're going. around the great lakes and that's going to last throughout the afternoon. right ahead of the cold front. plenty of cold. afternoon highs, just slightly above freezing. quite a bit of cool air behind. des moines will go to 40 today. phoenix, an air quality alert. the warmth is found right there. 81 for yuma.

79 in phoenix. >> i am meteorologist mike nicco on this monday morning with the bay area forecast. mostly clouds today. light showers across the north bay. dry and get your storm preparation done dead and tomorrow but winds on thursday and friday. temperatures in the low-to-mid 60's and possibly a few upper 60's and look for fog tonight and mild temperatures and low-to-mid 50's. this could be strong of the

storm in the last five to six years hitting hardest on >> more on that west coast storm coming up. waves could reach up to 20 feet. so there's some high surf advisory, too. coming up on "gma," the latest on the "rolling stone" apology after getting the explosive story on the uva assault wrong. the testimony in the case of the montana homeowner charged with killing an exchange student. the 911 tape played in court. and the terrorist who killed an american teacher in a mall in abu dhabi. the victim's ex-husband speaking out. dhabi. the victim's ex-husband speaking out.

ghirardelli squares peppermint bark.zvous ♪ rich chocolate layers and festive peppermint. a ghirardelli original. ♪ a little reward for all the things you do ♪ get them before they disappear.

that's the way i look at life. looking for something better. especially now that i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. i was taking warfarin, but wondered if i kept digging, could i come up with something better. my doctor told me about eliquis... for three important reasons. one, in a clinical trial, eliquis was proven to reduce the risk of stroke better than warfarin. two, eliquis had less major bleeding than warfarin. and three, unlike warfarin, there's no routine blood testing. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop.

seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. those three important reasons are why eliquis is a better find for me. ask your doctor today if eliquis is right for you. too bad some cash back cards only let you earn bonus cash back at a few places. then those categories change every few months. sometimes it's drug stores, then it's hardware stores. nothing says "happy holidays" like a shovel. fortunately there's the quicksilver card from capital one. with quicksilver you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase every day.

tis the season to ask... what's in your wallet? tis the season to ask... it's gonna tempt your tummy, with the taste of nuts and honey. it's a honey of an o. it's honey nut cheerios. good morning, i'm eric thomas. berkeley police are bracing for a possible third straight night of violent demonstrations that are against police killings in missouri and new york. overnight police say protesters smashed windows and sprayed graffiti at several businesses.

eight people were arrested in oakland after protesters moved on to highway 24 and blocked traffic. time to check in with leyla for a look at the traffic. >> as we look, the macarthur maze looks like the car pool lane is slow making the transition over to the bay bridge tolls. a little farther to the south we have a problem, a stalled vehicle westbound 92 right at the causeway so just as you come off the bridge, there's one lane blocked. you are solid backed up from 880, a 46-minute commute. by comparison the dumbarton bridge, a much better bet. when we come back meteorologist mike nicco will tell us when the rai

or a helping paw!ater, everyone needs a helping hand, so mattress discounters good deed dogs is raising money to help train assistance dogs for wounded veterans. veteran: i live independently because of what all it provides for me. and it's huge!

there's a lot of wounded, ill, and injured out there just like myself, who just maybe need a little bit of help. tag: you can lend a helping paw too. give at mattressdiscountersdogs.com or any mattress discounters. mattress discounters good deed dogs-- helping dogs help people.

good morning. still tracking radiational fog up in the north bay, three miles of visibility at petaluma. we also have flight arrival delays into sfo. scattered light showers across the north bay today but look what's coming thursday. this is why it will be the strongest storm in the last five to six years. at least 2 to 3 inches of rain in the lower start a revolution a revolution in coffee quality with the finest nespresso coffee blends.

a revolution in technology with unique centrifusion. a revolution in taste with a naturally formed crema on both coffee and espresso. nespresso vertuoline. experience the revolution of coffee.

ah! ♪ hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ a classic scene from one of amy's favorite movies, "national lampoon's christmas vacation." that was something. that was the big christmas display from clark griswald. how people are trying to top it this year. >> they're topping it. >> my daughter and i drove around yesterday. it's begun in the neighborhoods. also coming up, damaging testimony in the trial of the montana homeowner accused of setting a trap for a teenager and shooting him in the garage. the man's common law wife now on the stand. so much buzz about the

reality special last night. and viewers apparently upset about "eaten alive." a researcher who promised us he would be swallowed by a giant anaconda, why it left people hungry for more. >> and the anaconda. >> they're bummed he wasn't eaten. >> exactly. that would be -- >> of course. >> he broke a nail, i think. we're going to start with new questions about the explosive "rolling stone" article alleging a gang rape at the university of virginia. sparked protests on campus, shut down the school's greek system, incited worldwide anger. now "rolling stone" is apologizing for getting the story wrong. the woman in the middle of it all hired a lawyer. abc's linzie davis is here with the latest. good morning, linzie. >> reporter: over the weekend, a backlash against jackie on social media sites after holes have been poked in her account. even though "rolling stone" is questioning it, jackie is standing by her story that she was raped by several young men at a uva frat house. this morning, the woman at the

center of the story of sexual assaults at the university of virginia is now reportedly being represented by an attorney. this, after the magazine admitted discrepancies in the story of the young woman named jackie. doubt has been cast on three key allegations. in a statement issued by the fraternity last week, it denies there was a social event at the house the weekend of the alleged rape. the fraternity says, initiations only happen in the spring and ritualized sexual assault is not a part of any process. according to the article, jackie says she was lured to the fraternity by a member who worked with her at the campus' aquatic center. >> as i kept reporting, other facts weren't lining up right. >> reporter: a reporter for "the washington post" interviewed jackie after the "rolling stone" article came out. he says her statements contradicted "rolling stone's"

reporting. >> she said maybe the party wasn't at the fraternity and maybe the person that attacked her wasn't a member of the fraternity at all. >> reporter: "rolling stone" released a statement on friday saying there now appear to be discrepancies in jackie's account. we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced. >> she she purposely lied. she could be sued for damages. >> reporter: but sunday, the magazine revising their statement saying these mistakes are on "rolling stone" not on jackie, removing their "misplaced trust" line altogether. in response to the "rolling stone" apology, uva president teresa sullivan said, the university remains first and foremost committed to the care of the students at our university, especially sexual assault survivor. lots more to come in this story, lara. >> linzie, thank you so have. now to the latest on the trial of the montana homeowner for gunning down a teenager in his garage.

he's back in court this morning after a damaging day in court on friday. markus kaarma's common law wife took the stand. the sure heard the 911 call that night. >> who shot him? >> my husband. >> reporter: in court, the 911 call from the night markus kaarma shot a 17-year-old german exchange student in his garage. >> where was he shot? >> um, i don't know. he's laying face down, he's barely breathing. >> reporter: the woman making the call is kaarma's common law wife. but in a twist, she was called to the stand friday by the prosecution, trying to point out inconsistencies and odd behavior. the night of the shooting, for instance, she told police the teenager cried out, no, no, wait, please, before kaarma killed him. now she says that didn't happen. >> i have never been in a situation not even remotely as traumatic as this. >> reporter: a detective testifying friday that she

seemed calm that night and talked about how angry she would have been if her car was hit by the gunfire. while the 911 operator directed her to give dede first aid, she reportedly responded by going through his wallet and commenting, he's not even a u.s. citizen. >> my heart breaks for them. i don't mean to come across that way. >> reporter: prosecutors accuse kaarma of leaving his garage partially open, hoping to trap teenagers that he believed robbed him before. a hairdresser talked about kaarma saying he wanted to shoot some kids. one man said kaarma once pulled a gun on him while he was working on kaarma's lawn. >> i was scared. i was frozen. >> reporter: he has pleaded not guilty. his attorney says the shooting was justified because he was try ing to protect his family. testimony continues this morning

from a police sergeant on the scene that night. the latest on the american teacher and mother of three murdered in the middle east. officials there now saying her killer was a lone wolf who acted alone. and this morning we're hearing from her ex-husband for the first time. alex marquardt has that story. >> reporter: this woman, expected of stabbing american schoolteacher ibolya ryan in a mall was acting as a lone wolf with no connections to a terrorist group. instead, she said she was inspired by jihadist websites. she chose her victims randomly. an official said looking simply for anyone who looks foreign. >> i'm totally horrified by what happened. >> reporter: her ex-husband, paul, told cnn he's now arrived in abu dhabi to care for the couple's 11-year-old twin boys. >> one just needs to look at the video. the images of that bathroom. it is -- it knocks you out. knocks you out. i still hope my children have not seen that.

>> reporter: that chilling video shows the suspect, identified to abc news as dalal al hashemi. fleeing the mall after the attack in the bathroom. then police say, she drove across town, placing this homemade bomb outside the door of an egyptian-american doctor which authorities say she learned how to build online. luckily it was found and defused before going off. they raided her home within 48 hours, dragging her away and finding more evidence of possible attacks to come. on sunday, mourners held a vigil for ryan on the beach. still stunned that such an attack could take place in such a safe country. >> we have lived here for 7 1/2 years. i have never felt anything but safe. >> reporter: for "good morning america," alex marquardt, abc news, beirut. >> thank you to alex for that. let's get the weather from ginger. >> i think elsa opened up the studio this morning. so cold back here.

there's a reason for that. 25 degrees in new york city. the wind chill, throughout the new england area, back into parts of the great lakes. it's in the 20s. burlington, 3 below. care blew 10 degrees. going for the next two weeks, this is the 8 to 14-day outlook. above normal for almost everyone but a sliver of south carolina, georgia, and florida. and that takes us right through the end -- really, close to the end of the year. >> good morning, i am meteorologist mike nicco with scattered light shower across the north bay. otherwise we have clouds and warm today compared to average. low-to-mid 60. the big storm is coming in on thursday and it will be the strongest storm in the last five to six years so get everything ready today and >> all that weather brought to you by kay jewellers. and, of course, frozen. >> it is cold in here. coming up, the big reality special that got a lot of people upset. why some are saying "eaten

alive" was tv's biggest letdown ever. i'm going to t.j. >> i was let down, too. that's all right. we're in the "gma" social square. we got the praise decked out. we're modest with our decorations here. some people lose their minds with their decorations. we'll show you some of the most outrageous ones coming up. stay with us, folks. ♪ i am yours and i know you are mine... ♪ kay jewelers presents -- the leo artisan diamond. ♪ my love you shine so bright... ♪ yes! the design of its facets produces an incredible level of brilliance. from the creators of the first diamond certified to be visibly brighter. now at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. ♪ ...my love you shine so bright. ♪ ♪ every kiss begins with kay. transferred money from hisy bank of america savings account to his merrill edge retirement account. before he opened his first hot chocolate stand

calling winter an "underserved season". and before he quit his friend's leaf-raking business for "not offering a 401k." larry knew the importance of preparing for retirement. that's why when the time came he counted on merrill edge to streamline his investing and help him plan for the road ahead. that's the power of streamlined connections. that's merrill edge and bank of america. i was out for a bike ride. i didn't think i'd have a heart attack. but i did. i'm mike, and i'm very much alive. now my doctor recommends a bayer aspirin regimen to help prevent another heart attack. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

it's the curly hair you tried to fight it. hide it. change it. not anymore. professional strength frizz ease. our powerful spray gives you smooth, frizz-free curls that are ready for anything. frizz ease. only from john frieda.

back now at 7:42 with the highly anticipated reality

special called "eaten alive" in which the premise was that a researcher would be swallowed by a giant anaconda and live to tell about it. but as is sometimes the case on reality tv, things don't always go according to plan. abc's tom -- thomas llamas has the story. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: no, you're not hallucinating. you're looking at an anaconda trying to swallow researcher paul rosolie. while the special last night promised to see paul rosolie eaten alive, the two-hour event taking viewers 100 miles deep into the amazon, where rosolie and a team of trackers and scientists search and capture an 18-foot anacon anaconda, large enough to consume him whole.

snake tries to suffocate him. the special helmet providing oxygen and cameras to film everything. >> i smell like dinner. >> reporter: it seemed like dinner was served. watch as the snake wraps him up. >> he's tightening up. >> reporter: at one point, he thinks his arm will break. >> you need to get in here. >> reporter: in the end, no meal was had. >> i had very labored breathing. it was spiking my heart rate even more. because that was stressful. >> reporter: viewers on social media exploding. some upset no one was eaten alive. tweeting two hours of my life i can't get back. and, this dude's a quitter. others comparing it to the let down of geraldo rivera's special about al capone's vault. he's alive and well. and even checked out by a

veterinarian. despite the provocative concept, he's trying to bring attention to the amazon rain forest. >> this environment is being torn apart. >> reporter: for his next stunt, he wants to go big. real big. tracking a legendary anaconda reported to be 26 feet long. he may need to get a bigger canoe. for "good morning america," tom llamas, abc news, new york. >> i like the one that says, two hours of my life that i can't get back. what did he think the value of those two hours would be? >> it was worth someone dying to get his two hours back. the dude's a quitter. >> what's wrong with us? we're upset the guy did not get eaten by the anaconda. >> yes. but there was a message there. >> let's hear it for the rain forest. here's what's coming up. acid reflux. do you have it? maybe not even know it? what the president's health scare is teaching all of us. and the battle for the best light display this christmas. we have some of the most outrageous homes all across the country. ♪

♪ [instrumental music] ♪ and less saturated fat? it's eb. eggland's best eggs. better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. it's eb.

better eggs. dad,thank you mom for said this oftprotecting my future.you. thank you for being my hero and my dad. military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa auto insurance could be one of them. if you're a current or former military member or their family, get an auto insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life. as our ocean spray cranberries, which is why we're declaring it

the unofficial official fruit of the holidays. the fig's gonna be so bummed. [ chuckles ] vote for this year's holiday greeting at oceanspray.com. ♪

♪ a little christmas music because we hav some of the most outrageous homes with christmas lights from across the country. ♪ ♪ a little christmas music because we have these christmas lighting competitions, crazy ones all over the country. t.j. has the most over-the-top ones. >> i was feeling good about myself until i saw this. my 600 lights pale by comparison to the hundreds of thousand some people use to annoy their neighbors or spread holiday cheer. ah, christmas.

that magical time of year when even this taylor swift display is embraced. ♪ last christmas i gave you my heart ♪ >> reporter: so is this frigid wonderland taken right out of "frozen ." ♪ let it go let it go i am one with the wind and sky ♪ >> reporter: 'tis the season for over-the-top seasonal sparkle and this year, people are expected to shell out more than $6 billion for decorations. >> i'll have 2 million lights. >> if you can't see it from space, it ain't worth doing. >> reporter: it's a tinsel-filled tradition airing on abc. >> i have more invested in my christmas display than i do my home. >> reporter: but the electric expense can cost a pretty penny. that could be part of the reason these families are fighting for the $50,000 prize. >> my biggest passion by far is christmas. >> reporter: a christmas contest set to shine. >> merry christmas. >> reporter: and spread holiday cheer 1 million twinkles at a time.

scrooge or a legitimate gripe if you have to live next to that? >> i think legitimate gripe. i'm thankful i live in an apartment. >> you smile while looking at it, but, you know -- >> you can see all the lights tonight on abc at 8:00. is a really big deal. with aches, fever and chills- there's no such thing as a little flu. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. attack the flu virus at its source with prescription tamiflu. and call your doctor right away. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people 2 weeks and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash,

or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. ask your doctor about tamiflu and attack the flu virus at its source. by avoiding rapid acceleration hereand stop-and-go driving, your savings on gas could be equivalent to how much?

up to 50 cents a gallon? 75 cents? $1? the answer is... up to $1 a gallon. sensible driving avoids unnecessary energy loss saving you money and reducing co2 emissions. take the energy quiz -- round 2. energy lives here am i forgetting something? no holiday's complete without campbell's green bean casserole. wish you were here. ♪ [ doorbell ] [ gasps ] ♪ [ gong ] [ wisest kid ] m'm! m'm! good! ♪ give a journey. give a new perspective. give a little joy. a book is a gift like no other. and barnes & noble is like no other book store in the world. with so many books to discover and the new nook by samsung now a full featured tablet. a book is the gift they'll remember

long after the holidays are over. discohi! card. so it says here i can redeem my cashback bonus for cash. do i need to have a certain amount? nope, now you can redeem your cashback for any amount, any time. that's great. yeah, you can use it for a statement credit or even get the cash. nice. i could use that extra cash for a last-minute gift... one less thing hanging over your head, right? tell me about it. (to guy.) gary, you got to go. who's gary? a mistake from last year coming back around again... too much egg nog! yes! laaaaa... at discover we treat you like you'd treat you. now redeem your cashback for any amount, any time. get it at discover.com.

"good morning america" is brought to you by the discover it card. the card that treats you like you treat you. coming up, will and kate take manhattan. and tim tebow making some christmas dreams come true. and how you can too.

good morning, i'm kristen sze. let's get right to weather for you. meteorologist mike nicco with the forecast. >> a little bit of a mixed bag this monday morning. the thickest fog around fairfield, a quarter mile. everyone else has seen a lifting and my noon it will be hazy except across north bay we'll have scattered light showers today. temperatures running in the low to mid-60s in most areas. those light showers less than a couple of hundredths of an inch. at the macarthur maze, that drive westbound i-80 looking heavy as you push in towards 580. traffic not too bad in the eastbound direction. as we take you over to portola

valley, an accident southbound side of 280, one lane taken away. traveling in the northbound direction slow and it opens up into woodside. the news continues with "good morning america." another update in a half hour. bye-bye. ♪ ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪ ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪ ♪ look here, daddy, i'm never coming back... ♪ discover the new spirit of cadillac and the best offers of the season. lease this 2015 standard collection ats for around $329 a month.

these guys should've gone to my place, cuz right now, i have two breakfast croissants for just four bucks. they're both made with a freshly cracked egg and melting cheese on a buttery, flaky croissant. try the supreme with bacon and ham, or the sausage. they'll fill you up for - whoa hey! what are you doing? you can't make a commercial for your restaurant at my restaurant! not if you keep interrupting me, i can't.

start a revolution a revolution in coffee quality with the finest nespresso coffee blends. a revolution in technology with unique centrifusion. a revolution in taste with a naturally formed crema on both coffee and espresso. nespresso vertuoline. experience the revolution of coffee.

good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. and could you be suffering from acid reflux and you don't even know it? the symptoms anyone could have and the latest on the president's health care. and welcome to new york, will and kate. all the details on the royal couple's first ever road trip to the big apple. why it's drawing comparisons to princess diana's headline-making trip. plus, are you an elephant or a tiger mom? and which parenting style prepares your kids the best? the new approach making waves right now. ♪ bang bang into the room this just in. justin timberlake taking on a brand-new role. what he's doing behind the camera. all that and "gma's" very special layaway event. how we're making so many holiday wishes come true.

as we say -- ♪ welcome to new york >> good morning, america. and that's not all. a whole bunch of people bundled up in times square, getting ready to meet nick cannon. there he is right there. signing autographs on his brand-new children's book. we'll talk to him about that and catch up on his holiday season. as we say good morning, america. and also, george, we're following every move of the royal visit. there is the carlyle hotel here in new york city. where prince william and kate are staying on their first trip here. their trip drawing comparisons to diana's headline-making trip. and amy is tracking every move they make. >> yes. would you like to know where william is right now? at the white house, where is he going to meet president obama. this is his first trip to washington, d.c. they have never been to new york.

and he's never been to washington, d.c. >> and they have to hustle back here tonight. right? >> lots to do. brooklyn. >> that's coming up, okay. >> a very important game to get to. we're making holiday wishes come true this morning with "gma" layaway. it is live, we're surprising shoppers by paying off their holiday layaways. i love this. look at this surprise. a mom of two. forced to stop working after a car accident. putting her layaway gifts in jeopardy. tim tebow is live in orlando changing that. ♪ oh what fun it is to ride >> they're singing and in the holiday spirit. >> they really are in the spirit down there. and in tune, too. some of the gifts out of "gma" paying people's layaway. cannot wait for the rest there. love hearing that singing. we have to get to some news. >> good morning. george. good morning, everyone. we begin with the breaking story overnight. dramatic video as fire engulfed a building in downtown los angeles. flames towering into the air.

sweeping through a luxury apartment complex under construction. about 250 firefighters trying to control the inferno as scaffolding collapsed. the flames and smoke so intense, two major freeways had to be shut down. no reports, thankfully, of any serious injuries. from a distance, you could see the size of the flames set against the l.a. skyline. look at that. no official word yet on what caused the fire. in northern california, violence erupted during the second consecutive night of demonstrations stemming from the grand jury verdicts in new york and missouri. crowds outraged over the choke hold death of eric garner. shattered windows. they looted stores. vandalized squad cars and set trash cans on fire. they threw rocks at police and clashed with demonstrators trying to stop the violence. they also blocked a high why in nearby oakland. well u.s. embassies around the world are on alert this morning, bracing for the release of a potentially explosive so-called torture report on cia interrogations after 9/11. the senate report outlines cia

tactics in graphic and disturbing detail. those tactics, including waterboarding were banned years ago. intelligence officials fear the report will spark a backlash that could put american lives at risk. walgreens pharmacy is investigating how some holiday wrapping paper that was meant for hanukkah wound up with nazi symbols in the design. the company is now pulling the paper from stores nationwide after those swastikas were spotted in the blue graphics. star-studded event in washington. president obama bestowing kennedy center honors on five artists. actor tom hanks, comedian lily tomlin, ballerina patricia mcbride, singers al green and sting were all honored for influencing american culture through the arts. the president admitted

the ceremony that he wishes he could be called sting. but he's stuck with potus. not a bad title. what happens when you try to throw a giant teddy bear on to a hockey rink? take a look for yourself. fans trying to make a giant donation. the bear was too cumbersome for them. the poor thing went through a lot before it got help from the hockey players. and the crowd cheered. and one lucky little boy or girl got to figure out how to get that into their car. i'm sure the parents were happy. the bear was not injured. just so you know. >> we feel better now. >> amy, thanks very much. we turn now to the health scare to president obama over the weekend when his sore throat wouldn't go away. doctors ordered him to have a c.a.t. scan right away.

turns out the cause is acid reflux. dr. rich besser is here with more on that. this affects millions of people. how do you know when it's just a sore throat? >> it would be very unusual to have a sore throat be the only sign of acid reflux. the sore throat is with the company it keeps. with runny nose, cough, fever, infection. a sore throat and you have a bad taste in the back of your mouth, you're always swallowing. or a sore throat and heart burn, you think about reflux. it's the burning in your lower chest after you lie down or have a meal. >> when that's the case, how do you treat it? >> you treat it by going after some of the causes. and one of the causes is, if you have a little extra weight that can push on your stomach. you see reflux when acid and food splash back from your stomach into your food pipe. into your esophagus. that's because the muscle isn't really tight. losing a little bit of weight can help. raising the end of your bed can help. that will help use gravity to -- >> meaning head up? >> yes, like six-inch blocks under the head of your bed. eating small meals. and especially trying not to eat about three hours before you go to bed. keep track of foods that may give you a problem. a lot of people, it's fatty foods. cutting back on that can help. if you smoke, stop smoking. because that can increase reflux. >> what the you don't catch it?

what if it goes undiagnosed? >> for most people, it's just annoying. it's really, really annoying. for some, you know, long periods of reflux can cause scarring in your esophagus. and that's really dangerous. rarely it can cause cancer of your esophagus. for people with asthma, it can trigger an attack. for most, it's just annoying. but see your doctor. there's a lot of things you can do before you have to go on medicines. >> thank you, rich. you have to scoot the social square. i'm going. here's what's coming up own our "good morning america" did you see i stretched that out, the morning menu. in "pop news" justin timberlake's new move. why the superstar is going behind the camera. we'll explain. and move over tiger moms. why elephant parents are on the rise. they couldn't be more different. we'll explain those differences. and tim tebow, there he is, making holiday wishes come true for some lucky shoppers. how you could spread the joy as well. oh, look at this. how lucky am i? nick cannon, the gentleman, is

here, talking about his new childrens book and so much more coming up on "good morning america," live in times square. hi, guys! let's warm up. nice to see you. when it comes to the caribbean you haven't lived until you've lived for the wow!! royal caribbean has been voted best overall cruise line eleven years running. proving that no one does the caribbean like royal caribbean. call 1 800 royal caribbean today. it hurts. you doin'? this is what it can be like to have shingles. a painful blistering rash. if you had chicken pox, the shingles virus is already inside you. as you get older your immune system weakens and it loses its ability to keep the shingles virus in check. i just can't stand seeing him like this. he's in pain.

one in three people will get shingles in their lifetime. the shingles rash can last up to 30 days. i wish that there was something i could do to help. some people with shingles will have long term nerve pain which can last for a few months to a few years. don't wait until someone you love develops shingles. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your risk. mountain, reaching up to catch "we caour dreamhe highest together there is nothing we can't be. dive into the deepest oceans, dance upon the rolling seas, make a moment, keep the memory." "you'll lift me up, for we are free, v/o: "wherever life takes you, take it with you." pandora: unforgettable moments.

choosing is half the fun.. because there's a little something delicious... for everyone. hershey's miniatures, choose your own delicious. here's your vacation in a word... wow. and here's the sale to match. royal caribbean's first ever caribbean wow sale is going on now. buy one get 50% off your second guest and up to four hundred dollars to spend onboard. call 1-800-royal caribbean today.

coming up, look at that. our layaway angel. tim tebow surprising people all morning long at a walmart in orlando. making their holidays a lot happier. you don't want to miss this. ys happy. you don't want to miss this. too bad some cash back cards only let you earn bonus cash back at a few places. then those categories change every few months. sometimes it's drug stores, then it's hardware stores. nothing says "happy holidays" like a shovel. fortunately there's the quicksilver card from capital one. with quicksilver you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase every day. tis the season to ask... what's in your wallet? tis the season to ask...

we are about to make more gooddeliveriesverybody. to more places than anybody on earth. we have the speed. we have the technology. and we have the team. we made over 15 billion successful deliveries last year. 15 billion! football has a season. baseball has a season. this is our season. when you take advil you get relief right at the site of pain. wherever it is. advil stops pain right where it starts. relief doesn't get any better than this. advil.

so it seemed like a gwell, we make it pretty easy. in fact, your appraisal should be ready, let's pull it up. now, how long do i have to decide on this offer? seven days, and we'll buy your car even if you don't buy ours. but if i decide to buy a convertible? the offer is exactly the same either way. nice! aaanndd... here it is! we'll take it! terrific. sell your car the fast and easy way, with no strings attached, at carmax. start here. [ [ cheers and applause ] welcome to times square. a bunch of people out there this morning, having a happy monday. and now it's time inside for "pop news." t.j. holmes here to take it away.

>> appreciate you guys having me back. fill in for lara last week. you said, t.j., you did all right. you said if you're coming back, you gotta bring it. i went out and recruited. nick cannon. i had to recruit. two is better than one. we're going to do this "pop news" thing. you're a fan of j.k. rowling? harry potter? >> absolutely. >> she's got a gift for you and everybody else out there. >> she's going to be putting out 12 new stories. one a day starting december 12th. you all can look for these. there's a catch on her website. it's potter more, you have to solve a mystery. have a little riddle. would you be good enough? >> that's a good idea. >> probably not. my hogwarts history, i'm not good with that stuff in potterland. >> you're not going to get the stories. but still, for everybody else out there, you have to unlock these stories. >> start typing quidditch. >> that's all you need. man crush? you got a man crush on anybody?

>> yeah. you! you! >> all right. that was too easy. now george clooney. we showed you this picture last week. a lot of people got a man crush on this guy possibly. i only used his picture to get into the other part of the story. his other half. his better half, amal, a human rights lawyer. they just got married. now she's become this fashion icon. so big now that she has a bag named after her. are you familiar with this brand? italian luxury brand? >> of course. >> forgive me. i'm still in the target aisle. >> it's italian and fancy. that's all you need to know. >> she's been see that bag enough, now they're calling it the amal. if you want, you can dress like her. and now you can carry the amal. >> for a certain price, i'm guessing. >> what would you guess? >> a big price. >> 1200 bucks. what is that? is that about right? >> the birkin is named after a person, too.

>> does it come with batteries? an extra phone? >> this is the amal. and the last thing here. are you more comfortable behind the scenes as you are in front of the camera? >> i try to be in front of the camera, behind the camera. an entrepre-tainer. >> i can't say that word. but maybe justin timberlake is one as well. here he is. he dances, he sings, he acts. but he picks up a camera. he's a cameraman as well. he picks up a camera at the memphis grizzlies game last night. he's having some fun. now why would he be allowed to do this? he's justin timberlake, for one. but he is a part owner of the grizzlies. >> he can do whatever he wants to. >> he can do that. he put this on instagram. his grandmother, sadie, in the stands. yeah. >> see, that's what it's all about there. >> that's the man crush. >> i wonder if the director ever took a single one of his shots though. did you see that? >> he was all over the place with it. >> we're going to be talking to you later about the book. >> got my book here. >> yeah, we're going to talk

about that. >> trying to get my j.k. on as well. you don't need no riddles to get this one. stories right here. >> just $12.95. >> is that all right? i got to bring somebody every time. >> well done. >> great job. >> awesome, t.j. >> you alone is more than enough. >> look at this. let's end on that, please. >> we'll end on that. heat index comes up. let's go to ginger right now. >> this is a fresh 17 for the wind chill out here. we're loving it. and it's samantha's what? >> 16th birthday. >> we're celebrating. we're also celebrating weather. well, in green bay, not celebrating this morning. but they are driving carefully. that's what you're running into. thanks to wbay for that photo. tonight into tomorrow, you'll need an umbrella in new york city. the snow falls inland. you see that? see all the pinks? that would be snow, tuesday through thursday. some of the myer elevations could get 6 to even 12 inches. a quick look at the timing of the storm in the northwest.

>> i am meteorologist mike nicco on this monday morning with the bay area forecast. mostly clouds today. light showers across the north bay. dry and get your storm preparation done dead and tomorrow but winds on thursday and friday. temperatures in the low-to-mid 60's and possibly a few upper 60's and look for fog tonight and mild temperatures and low-to-mid 50's. this could be strong of the storm in the last five to six years hitting hardest on thur good morning, athens, georgia. george? >> thank you, ginger. now to today's "morning stir." tiger moms, move over. we're hearing elephant moms are on the rise. this parenting style is more about nurturing. there's some elephants. that's pretty. and abc's juju chang takes a look at what it's like, how to figure out which method is right for your kids. >> reporter: we know tiger parenting employs extreme

discipline. not so much the lovey-dovey stuff. hyper focusing on grades and performance. >> grow up a little! >> reporter: now there's an elephant in the room. the elephant parent, that is. in atlantic magazine, a blogger recently described some parents' need to nurture, protect, and encourage their children, especially when they're still impressionable and very, very young. the blogger comparing the loving way she was raised to being an elephant. her tiny legs stuck in the water and her mother pulling her along and supporting her child unconditionally. writing about her own daughter, our 4-year-old will ask us to put her shoes on and feed her. she has the rest of her life to do it herself. while some readers applaud elephant parenting -- one writing, what a wonderful way to raise kids. others believe being reprimanded is necessary. writing, discipline is a big part of being a person. you have to instill that as a child.

experts saying that parents should trust their instincts and find the style that works for them. >> the tiger mom is tough. the elephant mom is soft. that's why i like the middle approach, where the parent is tough but loving. >> reporter: for "good morning america," juju chang, abc news, new york. >> and we're here with our parenting expert, dr. robyn silverman. what do you think of that? >> i think that the elephant mom approach is all about nurturing and protecting. the tiger mom is get it done, do it now, do it right. and while a child needs these different approaches at different times of their lives, most of our best parenting is nuanced and happens somewhere in between. >> it's about mix and match, listening, learning from what works. >> exactly. when we have a child, we have to understand that that child is going to grow and learn and change throughout their lives. i like to tell parents that we need to listen to the child and

really tune in. we need to listen to our gut and really tune in. because the sweet spot is where those two meet. >> and also give yourself a break. you're going to make mistakes. >> we're going to screw up. but parenting is not about being perfect. it's about really tuning in and listening. it's about being present. and you know what? if you screw up, parenting is the ultimate do-over. you can do it over and over again and get it as right as you can. >> thank goodness for that. >> thank goodness for that. for all of us. >> robyn, thank you very much. now to amy. to the "gma heat index" and the royal visit. let's take a look at prince william and kate's new new york palace during their three-day stay. the carlyle hotel. a favorite spot of william's mother, princess diana, who became america's sweetheart over 25 years ago. kate is following in iconic diana's footsteps becoming a devoted charitable role model herself.

>> once she arrived, new york woke up and realized what a star they had. >> reporter: she was born to be a princess? >> i would say she was born to be a queen. >> reporter: kate will be taking a page from princess diana. visiting a harlem youth development center. diana famously changed the perception of aids at a harlem hospital nearly 25 years ago. there were poignant moments on the first trip. most notably, i would think, holding that baby. holding that child who had aids. >> just a simple gesture. just by picking up a baby, hugging it. diana was able to send a very important message. >> reporter: william and kate will pay a visit to a city kid's foundation project. the same charity, william's mother, princess diana, actively helped support more than two decades ago. >> whenever you left a palace or a hotel, there was always a sense that around you, great big show was about to start. it was curtain up. >> reporter: and today is no different with william and kate.

it was 25 years ago you walked through these doors with princess diana. what was it like? >> well, i mean, it is fantastic, like it is now. it's a wonderful, happy place. it was like walking into a party. >> reporter: and she was the belle of the ball. william and kate's new york home away from home, also one of her favorite hideaways. where she famously met jfk jr. shortly before they both tragically died. >> he was setting up his magazine, "george" and asked the princess to be on the cover of the first issue. and she said, well, john, that's a very big honor. really, what i would like to do is be on the cover of your 50th issue. >> reporter: wow. >> sadly, as we now know, for neither of them was that possible. >> reporter: william and kate have captured the world's fascination. bringing some of that diana magic back to new york for the first time. and kate is actually heading just two blocks away from that now famous harlem hospital that diana visited at a child development center with the first lady of new york. really following in her footsteps.

>> that's great. >> if you happen to run into the royals while they're here in the city, you don't need to curtsy or bow to them. you don't have to because we're not subjects. but it is a true sign of respect. >> do a little bow? >> a little bow. like i do to you every morning. >> thank you, george. and continuing now on the heat index, we all know the band, kiss, and all of their outrageous outfits and makeup. they didn't care what people thought of them. they did what they wanted to. now frontman gene simmons' daughter, sophie is following in her dad's footsteps in a clothing line she created to help women celebrate themselves. just as they are. abbie boudreau explains. >> reporter: she's best known as the daughter of legendary rocker gene simmons and former model shannon tweed. 22-year-old sophie tweed-simmons is now making her own mark in the world of fashion. >> we've got a little bit of everything in here. >> reporter: just like her famous father. >> i can get down.

>> reporter: she's not afraid of breaking the rules. designing a new fashion line that doesn't discriminate. clothing that fits every type of body. >> yes, we're not trying to thin-shame. we're not trying to fat-shame. we're saying there's not an option for girls that look like me. grab it, grab it. >> reporter: growing up in front of the camera on her family's hit reality show, "gene simmons family jewels," sophie says her body was constantly judged. >> gene simmons chubby daughter. gene simmons' whale. and so, i had to become comfortable with what i had to work with. >> reporter: now comfortable with her curves, she chooses not to have her photos digitally enhanced. >> i don't want to lie about what i look like. this is how i look. >> reporter: and unlike other celebs accused of altering their own images online, sophie refuses. >> so you're telling your followers, i don't think i'm pretty enough. what is that saying for these young girls?

>> reporter: wearing size 8 to 10, sophie was frustrated with how clothing fit her body, so she partnered with the style club online to launch a new year's eve collection. calling her look a combination of rocker meets conservative. >> so, it's like a sexy grand ma. >> sexy grandma? >> sexy rocker grandma. >> reporter: a clothing line promising to fit women of all shapes and sizes. for "good morning america," abbie boudreau, abc news, los angeles. >> i wasn't thinking grandma. >> no, no. >> nor was i. >> cute stuff. >> it's great. >> i thought it was really nice. >> i can't get the sexy grandma thing out of my head right now. >> just think about her. it's not the first thought. all right. so, coming up, there's one lucky mom. she's going to be surprised on our "gma" layaway live event. more with tim tebow. and christian bale is here.

good morning, i'm kristen sze. we have breaking news this morning. it's good news for giants fans. madison bumgarner has been named "sports illustrated" sportsman of the year. he carried the giants to the world series title coming out of the bullpen to win game seven. i don't think you'll agree with that one, leyla. >> not at all. as you look at your drive through pleasanton, a two-car crash southbound 680 at castlewood drive. there are heavy delays right up to highway 84 kwogoing to take 30 minutes. the almaden expressway has backup coming away from 87, slow going right into cupertino.

calm day but another storm on the way. or a helping paw!ater, everyone needs a helping hand, so mattress discounters good deed dogs is raising money to help train assistance dogs for wounded veterans. veteran: i live independently because of what all it provides for me. and it's huge! there's a lot of wounded, ill, and injured out there just like myself, who just maybe need a little bit of help. tag: you can lend a helping paw too. give at mattressdiscountersdogs.com or any mattress discounters. mattress discounters good deed dogs-- helping dogs help people.

good morning. i have some good news. the fog continues to fade to haze in most neighborhoods. still in the central valley is where you'll find the thickest at least through 10:00, quarter mile visibility or less. scattered light showers across the north bay, but the big story is what's going to happen thursday. one of the strongest storms we've had in five or six years. i mean even those areas like snl and livermore, at least 2

inches. 3 to 5 inches for the rest of us. ♪ this is attention walmart shoppers. attention walmart shoppers. today "gma" is is paying off layaways. [ cheers and applause ] >> and a lot of excitement down at that walmart in orlando right now. tim tebow surprising folks all morning long with our layaway live event. we have much more from him coming up. >> big smiles and great holiday spirit there. also ahead, there he is. our very own santa. the one and only nick cannon is in the holiday spirit, as well. can't wait to talk to him. he's got a new christmas book out for kids. we're going to talk about that. he's a busy man. and then we have, it's a star-packed half hour. take a look at that. christian bale is here. looking forward to hearing about his new movie, "exodus, gods and kings." i saw this. t.j. and i saw it together. >> 3-d.

>> it is a phenomenal movie, yes, in 3-d. >> got me excited about it. in the spirit of giving, we have a gift for "once upon a time" fans, a deleted scene. from last night's episode. you can see whole thing on our website, goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo!. >> oh, it's good. i saw it. why delete it? it was really good. right now, we want to go to tony reali. he's in the social square with today's speed feed. >> it was in your feed all weekend. still there this morning. a youtube takeover. the little girl who likes herself some grateful dead. me and my uncle is a song being played by coyote and crow. and not even a brooklyn subway platform able to resist her call to get down. check her out. look at her go. down with your bad self. what is it that they say? dance like no one except 4.5 million people on youtube are watching. 4.5 million hits watching her dance to the grateful dead.

i sense a sequel and copy cats on the way. love this next one. were you guys fresh prince of bel air" fans? trending, will, carlton, jeffrey, uncle phil, both aunt vivs are coming to netflix. series in full will be available for some serious binge watching. this news made people want to do the carlton. what put it in a stratosphere was when one direction fans reminded us how much their guys like the theme. listen to this. ♪ in west philadelphia on the playground is where i spent most of my days chilling out and relaxing all cool shooting some b-ball ♪ >> gotta be a top five theme song of all time. one of the biggest trenders. on facebook this morning. the return the of a breakfast favorite. french toast crunch is back. happy times for fans. they've been trying to buy boxes

on ebay. i question how old those boxes are since the cereal went off the shelves in 2006. now general mills announcing french toast crunch will be back to a breakfast bowl very soon. speed feed, george. i know you're excited. time for "gma's" layaway live. so excited. all morning long, surprising some lucky shoppers all across the country. tim tebow is at a walmart in orlando right now. take it away, tim. >> hey, george. everybody loves santa. but getting to play santa is way more fun. take a look. every year, it happens all across the country. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: good samaritans paying off complete strangers' holiday layaways. >> i can't believe it. >> oh, my god. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: can you tell me your story? and how you became a layaway angel? >> i decided to do something anonymous for family. and went into a layaway department and didn't know who i

was helping. but just chose one family that had toys on layaway. >> reporter: this year, we wanted to get in on the christmas magic. attention walmart shoppers. "gma" is paying off layaways. hitting walmarts all across the country. >> what do i have on layaway right now? >> reporter: she came in to make a payment on her layaway account, the christmas gifts for her two small children. tough times lately? >> i totalled my car. i was a full-time student. i have a lot of home work i have been catching up on. i missed a lot of work. >> reporter: so christmas is depending on this layaway, huh? >> yes. >> reporter: on behalf of "gma," we're going to take care of this layaway for you. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: and we were just getting started. jasmine's gifts are for her baby nephew. today, it's on "gma." hi, how are you? >> hi, oh, snap.

>> reporter: hi, i'm tim. nice the see you. >> smhut the front door. >> reporter: on behalf of "gma," we would like the pay for your layaway. >> shut up. >> reporter: i promise. >> thank you. tim tebow came up and paid my layaway. >> i'll take care of you. >> reporter: and single mom of two, christina, showing up to pay off her $280 layaway. we're footing the bill. how much did you have? >> a lot. >> reporter: a lot? >> yeah. >> reporter: i just want you to know you can put that money back in your pocket. "gma" wants to pay off your layaway. >> oh, my god. well, thank you. >> reporter: you're welcome. a store full of holiday spirit to make christmas a little bit better. paid in full. guys, there is nothing better than making someone smile at christmas time. this was awesome. >> i can tell. and you're surrounded by smiles right now. thank you, tim. if you would like to become a layaway angel, you can go to our website and find out how. or you can donate at a store.

what mart, kmart, sears, toys "r" us. or pay a portion of someone's account. just ask a store manager for help. >> a great idea. to ginger for a final check of the weather. >> oh, my goodness. we're having such a good morning. such a party, i wasn't even paying attention. we have to get straight to the forecast. a lot going on out here today. the snow in wisconsin. check it out. this is happening. overnight, slick roads in madison, they have had quite a bit of ice around central. phoenix, a beautiful sun halo. quite warm there today. the other big story. through wednesday. heavy rain. that represents two to three inches in the red. and some of the purple areas will transition to snow. higher elevations away from the coast. there's a look at everything coast to coast. >> good morning, i am meteorologist mike nicco with scattered light shower across the north bay. otherwise we have clouds and warm today compared to average.

low-to-mid 60. the big storm is coming in on thursday and it will be the strongest storm in the last five to six years so get everything ready today >> all that weather brought to you by car max. and we want to know. are you ready for the holidays? abc family is. the stars are all over it this weekend. the winter wonderland party on ice to mark abc family's annual not to be missed 25 days of christmas marathon. all your favorite holiday classics every day until the big day. and now joining me, the wonderful, the star of "baby daddy," so good to see you, chelsea kane. >> hi. so good to be here. >> you have a special baby daddy coming up. i love the title. >> it's a wonderful emma. we have a "baby daddy" christmas episode. it's a play on "it's a wonderful life." ben is bah humbug about the whole christmas thing and wishes christmas away, and with that, he wishes emma away because he met her mom at a christmas party. so the whole episode is seeing

how our lives would be different without her. it's sweet. it tugs at your heartstrings. >> it does. a beautiful coat, by the way. i know you have brought a few for us. >> yes, yes, for your warm hearts warm coats. >> look at this pile. >> on behalf of abc family, we brought these coats. >> so far, our eighth year of doing this, we have now 65,373 coats. you can help join the cause by going to any burlington store and donating a gently worn coat. or go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! to find out how and when to donate. you can then take a picture of yourself doing that. use the hashtag coat notes. your story might end up here on "gma." abc family shows. special holiday episodes airing this week. including a special holiday episode of "baby daddy."

on wednesday, 8:30 eastern. >> we're looking forward to that. also looking forward to christian bale. he'll be here live.

(vo)rescued.ed. protected. given new hope. during the subaru "share the love" event, subaru owners feel it, too. because when you take home a new subaru, we donate 250 dollars to helping those in need. we'll have given 50 million dollars over seven years. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru.

back now with christian bale. he's stepping into a role of biblical and epic proportions. in "exodus, gods and kings" he place moses, foster brother to

ramses. everything changes when he finds out who moses really is. take a look. >> how do you know moses? >> you know how i know him. >> so you're not his sister, then? >> of course not. >> place your arm on the table. >> ramses. don't take this any further. >> don't take this any further or what? >> do not take this any further. >> are you quite sure about that? get your hand off it or use it now. >> oh. such an intense scene. so great to have christian bale with us. the movie is phenomenal. i understand riddy scott said in a press conference when he first approached you about playing moses, you said, oh, no. what changed your mind? the script? >> who would? i know myself to be such an idiot.

this is such an iconic figure. you have healthy amount of self-doubt about playing such a target. >> you did a tremendous amount of research. reading torah, the bible. talking to religious people. trying to get a feel of it. >> watching life of brian, mel brooks' version of moses. that's where i began. >> interesting choice. >> it's where you have to start. you do something with as much weight and gravitas as this, you have to see where the red flags are. when you can go, unintentionally funny. and they're bill yant films any way, you know. there's so much to see. charlton heston. of course. >> i was going to say, charlton heston. >> burt lancaster. oh, hey, mate. thank you very much. and, uh -- and then reading the torah. that was something that was a real eye-opener for me. i had never read the torah from the beginning through to the end.

i discovered moses is one of the most fascinating, challenging, and complete characters i have ever read about. hence the relevance and why his story has resonated for millenia. >> you said at one point he was barbaric. it stirs up controversy. >> i suggest that people that find it controversial read the entire torah. i'm not talking about a passage that's within the film that we made. our film is focused on the relationship between moses and ramses. but there's passage that comes later. numbers 31, 14-18 is quite well known. that's what i was referring to. >> not only the relationship between moses and ramses. and the relationship between moses and god. and i don't want to give anything away. i was struck, as i know all moviegoers will be, on how ridley chose to depict god. what did you make of the choice? >> i think it is a bold choice. he's a messenger of god. the name of the character means

me messenger. the word israelite means he who wrestled with god. moses wrestled with him constantly. they disagreed. it was a tumultuous relationship. >> epic doesn't describe the scenery, the cinematography. you were in the canary islands for some of this. >> yes. where they shot spaghetti westerns in spain. they should be like paille westerns. and we shot in pinewood. as well. these incredible locations that ridley managed to find. nowadays, you have incredible technology. and, ridley is a master of -- he's a real artist. with what he creates with his film images. he's able to create this wonderful human story, after all, the only important thing.

special effects mean nothing without a great human story. >> and by the way, i just want to mention, love you on the mike. are you going to sing something for us here? >> i like hank williams an awful lot. [ laughter ] >> we had some microphone difficulties. thank you for taking on the stick mike. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> we appreciate it. christian bale, the consummate profession professional. "exodus, gods and kings" opens nationwide on friday. coming up, we have nick cann

always so good to see our next guest, mr. nick cannon, who somehow found the time to write a delightful children's book in the midst of all of his other gigs. as a comedian, an actor, a

host -- what did you call it? you called it a -- >> an entrepretainer. >> an entrepretainer. in the book is called "roc and roe's twelve days of christmas." so happy to have you here. >> thank you. >> so sweet. it captures the essence of dem babies. >> now they're dem kids. they're 3 1/2 years old. they're so full of personality. i was inspired to write the book. each and every day with them is crazy. yesterday, we went to legoland. i was like, i gotta write about this experience. it wore me out. so much fun. during the holidays. to focus on family. just have a good time with them more than anything. >> and there they are. >> there they are. >> we first got a look at them with the great barbara walters. and, now -- i can't believe they're almost 4 years old. did they help you with the -- it's cute. some of the 12 days of christmas gifts. these are not your partridge in a pear tree. >> it's fun and over the top in

our family. i remember when we were designing the characters like they put, they had input. my daughter was like, daddy, my glasses don't look like that. i had to make sure they were happy with the characters. and everything. we had a lot of fun. >> and even though, you and i were just talking, mariah and you are separated, christmas is about family first and foremost. >> always. always focused on family. we'll forever be family. we're there for our children, making them the number one priority. understanding that they're loved and can have an amazing holiday. >> and how will you do that? tell us a tradition that you'll do in your house. in your house. based on these 12 days, there's some fun ones. >> it's always a house full of people and pets and dogs. christmas eve, we like to have sleigh rides, reindeer. everything seems over the top. but it really happens. >> it does. this is a glimpse into your life with mariah and the twins.

in addition to writing the book and everything else you do, you're popping over to radio city music hall to their big christmas spectacular? >> yes. absolutely. then just focusing -- i'll be there with the book and reading. literacy is very important to me. especially when it comes to the youth. i've been trying to instill it in my children early on. anytime you can get around a bunch of kids and read a book, you can't go wrong with that. >> when are you at radio city? >> i'll be there today. >> you know the royals could pop in. no pressure. >> i can read to them, they could read to me. it would be a great situation. >> it's their first trip to new york. you're there for a tradition. stranger things have happened. >> makes sense. >> the real housewives -- >> the real husbands of hollywood. everybody, they call it house husbands. >> no, it's just husbands. >> kevin hart and i have a show where we just get to have a heightened version of our lives. we get to be really silly.

i think i'm the mayor of beverly hills at this point. >> it's a parody. not a reality show. >> they say it's the fakest reality show on television. and we have a lot of fun with it. >> how could you not? kevin hart. nelly. >> everybody stops through. boris is on. chris rock stopped in. it's a bunch of fun stuff. it's friends having a good time. >> you never let down. i'm so thrilled to hear that you and the family are okay and you'll have beautiful christmas together. thank you for giving us this gift. >> no problem. >> it's called "roc and roe's twelve days of christmas." and it is in stores right now. before you go. you're going to donate a coat? to our warm coats warm hearts coat drive? >> of course, right over here. let's do it. >> thank you. >> no problem. >> it will be chilly without it. but we do so appreciate it. we'll be right back, everybody. thank you. >> no problem. good to see you. >> good to see you. merry christmas. good to

lifeand thankfully, of shaving stuff. being able to find backups. start a revolution a revolution in coffee quality with the finest nespresso coffee blends. a revolution in technology with unique centrifusion. a revolution in taste with a naturally formed crema on both coffee and espresso. nespresso vertuoline. experience the revolution of coffee.

♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪ ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪ ♪ look here, daddy, i'm never coming back... ♪

discover the new spirit of cadillac and the best offers of the season. lease this 2015 standard collection ats for around $329 a month. lifeand thankfully, of shaving stuff. being able to find backups. [bell chime] ting

okay. >> did you just say that, ginger? >> i sure did. >> great monday, anna kendricks from into the woods is going to be here tomorrow. see you then. >> have a great day. jingle those bells. great day. jingle those bells.

2 breakfast croissants for just $4 - both made with a freshly cracked egg it's cheaper to eat at my place. i've got - and melting cheese. try supreme or sausage. hey, you can't make a commercial in my restaurant! not if you keep interrupting me.

good morning, i'm kristen sze. i know it doesn't look like it now but it is a wet week for us. meteorologist mike nicco has the forecast. >> up in the north bay some scattered light showers and those will fade as we head into the afternoon hours. the big storm is coming especially thursday and i think these amounts are a little light but even those rain shadow areas like san jose and livermore will get a lot of rain. it will be the strongest storm in five or six years. i think we'll have urban flooding, mud ando slides, even wind damage possible. it's a bit of a tough drive through walnut creek and pleasant hill. southbound side of 680, you can see cars barely moving past main street towards 24.

it doesn't get much better because the southbound direction a motorcycle crash here at stone it's "live with kelly & michael." today from the film "annie," cameron diaz, plus host, rapper and author nick cannon. and we're kicking off "live's" holiday hits week with a performance from opera superstar, renee fleming, all next on "live". [captioning made possible by disney-abc domestic television] ♪ you know i'm all about that bass ♪ ♪ you know i'm all about that bass no treble ♪ kelly: hi.